Calgarians can now vote for city's official bird

Calgarians are now able to vote for the city's official bird.

Ward 11 Coun. Kourtney Penner brought forward a notice of motion in mid-March that proposed council designate an official bird and it be left to citizens to decide which one.

After consulting with local Indigenous groups and nature organizations, a volunteer group called Bird Friendly Calgary created a list of five birds for Calgarians to choose from:

• Black-capped chickadee;
• Black-billed magpie;
• Northern flicker;
• Red-breasted nuthatch; and
• Blue jay.

Penner's notice of motion came after Calgary was named a Bird Friendly City by Nature Canada last year, one of four across the nation.

To obtain the designation, a city must meet several targets including reducing human-related threats to birds, habitat protection, restoration and climate resiliency, and community outreach and education. Another requirement is that an official bird must be chosen.

The notice of motion was approved by a city committee on March 15 and then approved in a final vote by council on March 30.

As such, Calgarians can vote online for one of the five feathered candidates online until May 1.

The winning bird will then be announced on May 14 to coincide with World Migratory Bird Day, before council makes it official during a combined meeting of council in June.